Moldova’s Ambassador to Romania Iurie Renita considers the EU should shift from the status of observer to that of mediator in the Transnistrian dispute, while Romania can engage in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process through the UE and OSCE, Agerpres reports, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. “Incontestably, Transnistria is a part of Moldova and the official Chisinau makes concerted efforts with international support to resolve the dispute. We want this sensitive issue to be tackled in the current 5+2 format of the talks. We believe the EU should considerably increase its role. The current status of observer should be substituted by that of mediator,” Iurie Renita said. The ambassador stressed that Moldova considers the U.S. should also play a greater role. “The 5+2 format is not used according to its function owing to certain ambitions of the Transnistrian side,” he said. “There are two important international associations – the EU and OSCE – where Romania has a say. We want the EU and the other players to engage more actively. Chisinau and Tiraspol will not be able to solve the conflict themselves,” Iurie Renita said. According to the ambassador, the memorandum signed by Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel early in June was a nice surprise that gave a fresh impetus to the negotiation process. In the 5+2 format, the U.S. and the EU act as observers, while Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE as mediators.